The Vauxhall Astra has seen seven generations, all produced at the Ellesmere Port plant; almost 2,000 staff are employed at the facility.

The company’s Director of Communications, Denis Chick, said of the milestone: “The Vauxhall Astra has been one of Britain’s best-selling and loved cars for almost four decades, and we’re proud to manufacture it here in the UK at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. We felt the production of our 4 millionth Astra was worth celebrating and, as always, the team at Ellesmere Port has stepped up to the challenge by creating this stunning image.”